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Memories of the 28th Century

Educational Shortcomings

Educational systems seem to fail everyone in some significant way. Here in the U.S.A. elementary and secondary school teachers are generally under-trained and underpaid, so they arenít fully prepared to teach children, and there are major problems with the curriculum they are expected to teach. The curriculum doesn't include many things that should be included, and it does include many things that are a waste of time.

One thing that I was thinking of was basic logic. Many people pick it up without formal training, but some people never seem to figure out the law of cause and effect, and that prevents them from understanding that their actions have consequences.

It has been known for millennia that one reaps as own sows, many people donít get that, even though they have been punched and kicked around as a result of their poor behavior and praised for good behavior. Formal education can help- to turn personal experience into general rules that can be used to determine one's future actions. While this is very simple for many people, it is a mystery for many others. Some such people have learning disabilities or so little intelligence that they can't learn how to stop and think before acting. Some formal, regimented training might instill them with rigid habits that would get them to think, but there are some people who are incapable.

If teachers were paid well enough, then people who would be able to train those who have trouble learning, and that would have good results for the society at large.

Another bit of philosophy that should be taught in the early years is what it means to know something and the difference between opinion and fac. There are many, many people who think that their opinions are actual facts; that includes most religious people, believers in the ACC myth, and believers in many other marketting myths. I have even met people who thought that the hydration myth was scientifically true. Those marketters do solid work sometimes.

Although I have written on this general matter before, recently I had a run in with someone who opined that what he wanted was best, even if it did conflict with most of the rest on humanity. This is similar to the mental illness that Donald Trump has. People like that can't be trained to understand the consequences of actions, but some of them can be trained to respond to punishment for narcissistic, or sociopathic, behavior, and the population at large deserves to have such people trained how to live among humans. And the rest of us should also learn how to act toward such people, because they can't be treated the way the rest of humanity is treated. Many such people should not be among the general population but in institutional housing where they can be watched over and receive treatment for their conditions, if possible.

So in addition to teaching people the basics of logic, young students should be taught how to recognize and report signs of mental, or personality, disorders, and we may be able to eventually weed out the paranoid personalities from among the police and other such people earlier.

Comments

Basic logic... fine, it's great for programming computers (been there done that), but what you're advocating is the thought police, brainwashing, and a culling - by people of indeterminate moral fiber. I think we, as a species, have already gone down this path once or twice in word and in deed.

Teachers are severely handicapped by a plurality of social ills that accompany the student into the classroom. Perhaps 4 years of Social work should be a prerequisite prior to attaining a teacher's credential.

Basic logic is an essential part of common conversational speech. Grammar is a form of logic, and a lack of skill with grammar means that someone is incapable of communicating well or clearly, and such a person certainly cannot communicate logically..

Basic logic: I Karnaugh like it, and Boole was no fool; Venn, I don't know . I find that people without a basic knowledge of logic do quite well actually, logic being inherent in all of us... Homo Logicans we're not likely to become (we're wired too limbic).

Google query:

What is the average wage for teachers in the US: "$57,200
The BLS reports the median annual salary for high school teachers was $57,200 in 2015. The best-paid 10 percent in the field made approximately $91,190, while the bottom 10 percent made $37,800. Compensation is typically based on your years of experience and educational level.
High School Teacher Salary Information | US News Best Jobs
money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/high-school-teacher/salary.

The above is reflected in teachers in my extended family. Seems like a living wage to me. If teachers want to teach for other than the joy of teaching, they're short-changing their students.

The graphics at https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-...ound-the-world are a little dated (2014), but show a near parity of pay between US and Finland in wages. Note that Finland does gets a better bang for the Euro - with their government kicking in a better per capita funding (if I scan correctly). I also don't believe the Finnish students have near the social pressures the US students have.

I am dubious re: the Pupil to teacher ratio in the US... it was never that optimistic in my case, nor my daughter's, nor my Grandchildren's (currently).

This was just a quick Google search... your results may vary, I'll continue to look for more up to date data and look forward to any contributions others may provide.